Braked tabulating arrangement



BRAKED TABULATING ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. 29. 1961 2 Sheebs-Sheell l Afro/M57 Oct. 6, 1964 M'. LINK' BRAKED TABULATING ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1961 A fron Ney United States Patent O 3,151,725 BRAIED TABULATEIG ARRANGEMEN Manfred Linie, Nnrnberg, Germany, assigner to Max Grundig, Fuerth, Bayern, Germany Filed Nov. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 155,673 Claims priority, appiicatiogn Germany, Bec. 1, 1969,

3;,@54 laims. (Cl. l97l76) The present invention relates to a braked tabulator arrangement, more particularly to a tabulator arrangement for braking the paper carriage of an electric typewriter, or similar business machine before a tabulator tab on the carriage abuts the tabulator stop.

Braking of the paper carriage before the same is stopped by a tabulator stop, has the advantage that the impact of the tabulator tab on the tabulator stop is reduced, whereby damage to the engaging parts is prevented. Furthermore, the speed of the paper carriage can be increased, as compared with an arrangement without brakes, since the greater impact force produced by the faster carriage movement is compensated by the brake.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a braked tabulator arrangement of particular simple, ellicient land reliable construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a braked tabulator arrangement in which the paper carriage is not only braked after a comparatively long movement toward the tabulator stop, but is also braked When the tabulator tab is set in such a manner that the carriage has to move only a comparatively short distance before being stopped by the tabulator stop.

-t is also an object of the present invention to provide a braked tabulator arrangement in which the paper carriage is braked during a tabulating movement if it moves a distance sullcient for the carriage to reach top speed, while the carriage is not braked but directly stopped by the tabulator stop if a tab is in such a position that the distance through which the carriage moves is too short for the carriage to obtain full speed.

With these objects in View, a tabulating arrangement according to the present invention comprises manually controlled tabulator stop means operable to and from a stop position located in the path of movement of tabs set on a paper carriage; and at least two braking means, such as two abutments on a braking member, spaced along the path from each other and from the stop means so that one of the abutments is located farther from the stop means and the other abutment is located nearer to the stop means in the direction of carriage movement, and a braking force is produced when the abutments with the braking member move in the direction of the carriage movement. The braking member is operatively connected to the stop means to move to the braking position when the stop means is in the stop position.

When during the carriage movement, a set tab located farther from the stop means than the first abutment engages the same, the braking member is displaced and brakes the carriage until the respective tab abuts the stop means. When a set tab is located between the two abutments, the abutrnent nearer to the stop means is engaged by the set tab and the carriage is also braked until the respective tab engages the stop means. A set tab will be located between the two abutments, if it is fairly close to the stop means, for exarnple three to nine carriage steps or distances between tabulator tabs. In the event that a set tab is even closer to the stop means and is located between the nearer abutment and the stop means then it does not engage any of the abutments, but directly engages the stop means so that in this event the carriage is not braked. This is desirable since during a short carriage movement corresponding to three or four steps of Fice the carriage, the carriage cannot obtain its full speed so that the impact of the tab on the stop means is not very great.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the brake member is mounted on a carrier slidable in the direction of the carriage movement, but turnable with the carrier between an inoperative position in which the brake member, or more specifically its abutments, are retracted from the path of movement of the set tabs, and a braking position in which the braking member is located in this path. Biasing means urge the carrier with the braking member to turn to the braking position, but such movement can only take place when the tabulator stop means is shifted by the operator to the stop position, since a portion of the carrier engages a cam face of the stop means which controls the turning movement of the carrier With the braking member.

After the braking member has performed its braking function, it is returned by a spring to its initial position in a direction opposite to the direction of the carriage movement. Preferably, the braking member acts on auother spring-loaded member which controls a piston in a brake cylinder so that the piston can be returned by another spring in the direction of the return of the braking members.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary perspective View of one embodiment of the invention, with conventional parts of the typewriter omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan View of a portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional View of the embodiment of IG. 1 shown on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 and illustrating the position of the elements during a tabulating operation.

Referring now to the drawings, the paper carriage has a supporting member 1 in which a plurality of tabulator tabs 2 are mounted so as to be shiftable in slots of support 1 between an inoperative position in which the end portion 3 project only a little from support 1 as shown in FIG. 3, and a tabulating position in which the end portions 3 project farther from support 1 as best seen in FIG. 4. The other end portion 5 of the tabulator tabs is located outside of support 1 in the inoperative position of FIG. 3, and projects into the interior of support 1 in the set tabulating position shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 2 shows the last tab on the right to be set, and illustrates in broken lines the set positions of two other tabulator tabs 2a and 2b. The arrows e in FIGS. l and 2 indicate the direction of the carriage movement during a tabulating operation, and will be understood that the paper carriage is biased by conventional means to move in this direction when the escapement mechanism is released.

A stationary shaft 10 supports an angular lever 24 for turning movement. Lever 24 is biased by spring 25 to turn in clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. l, and is connected by link 26 to a tabulator key, not shown, which is provided in a conventional manner in the region of the keyboard of the machine. When the tabulator key is depressed, link 26 will be pulled in the direction of the arrow c, and lever 24 will turn in counter clockwise direction against the action of spring 25 to raise a stop lever means 6 articulated thereto. Stop lever means 6 has a stop portion 6a which is located in the path of movement of portions of set tabulator tabs 2, when stop lever means 6 has been raised by operation of the tabulator key. The stop position of top lever means 6 is shown in FIG. 4, while the retracted position of stop lever means 6 is'shown in FIG. 3. Guide means 27 are provided for guiding stop lever means 6 in the direction ofthe arrows b, as shown in FIGS. 3 and '4. Guide means 27 are omitted in FIG. l for the sake of clarity.

' Shaft 10 also supports a U-shaped carrier 9 for turning movement. The two legs of carrier 9 are spaced in the direction of the carriage movement, and are connected by a rod 20. A spring 19 biases carrier 9 to turn in clockwise direction as viewed in the drawing so that the rod 20 abuts a cam arm 21 of stop lever means 6. Cam arm 21 has two staggered cam portions 22 and 23 connected by an inclined face. In the retracted position of Vstop lever means 6 shown in FIG. 3, rod 20 will abut cam portion 22, but when stop lever means 6 is raised, rod will move along the inclined connecting face and finally abut on cam portion 23 as shown in FIG. 4 since spring 19 biases carrier 9 to perform this turning movement.

The yoke portion of carrier 9 has two outwardly projecting guide pins 8,y best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 which pass through elongated slots 7 in a braking member 4, and have head portions confining the braking member 4A so that the same-turns with carrier 9, but is slidable in the direction of the carriage movement and of slots 7 along the outer surface of-carrier 9. Braking member V4 has two abutments 12 and 13 which are spaced in the direction of the carriage movement from each other and cooperate with the portions 3 of set tabs. When car- Yrier 9 with braking member 4 is in the inoperative position shown in FIG. 3, the abutments 12 and 13 are completely retracted from the path of movement of tabulator tabs 2, but when carrier 9 with braking member 4 moves in a direction of the arrow d in FIG. 3 to the braking position shown in FIG. 4, abutments 12 and 13 are located in the path of movement of portions 3 of set Vtabs 2, but can still passl tabs 2 which were not'set and are in lthe inoperative position shown in FIG. 3.

A spring 11 is secured to the end of braking member 4 and biases the same to move in the direction of the arrow a so that the left ends of slots 7 are engaged by the guide pins 8 of carrier 9. Supporting shaft 10, and members 24 and 9 mounted thereon are non-movable in the direction of the carriage movement, so that the pull of spring 11 cannot displace members 9 and 24.

Brakingmember 4 has a tranverse arm 14 having a transverse projection abutting a projecting pin on a brake control member 16 which is connected to a piston, not shown, in the brakefcylinder 17 which preferably is of the pneumatic type. The'other end of brake control member 16 is connected to a spring 13 which biases member 16 to move to the right as viewed in FIG. l so that projecting pin 15 abuts arm 14 of braking member 4. Member'16 has a guide slot through which a guide member, not shown, passes.

The tabulating arrangement operates in the following manner: The operator sets the tabs to the tabulating position shown in FIG. 4. During a tabulating operation, and depending on the position of the paper carriage relative to braking member 4 and its abutments 12 and 13, a set tab may he located before abutment 12l considered in the direction of carriage movementve, or between abutments 12 and 13 as shown for tab 2a or behind abutment 13 as shown for tab 2b in FIGQZ. Tabs 2a and 2b are set while the carriage is still in a position in which tabs 2a andV 2b are located before abutment 12, in which event the position of FIG. 2 is obtained by consecutive tabulating operations.

When the tabulating key is depressed by the operation, link 26 moves in the direction of the arrow c, and stop means 24, 6, 6a is turned in counter clockwise direction against the action of spring 25 so that stop portion 6a is raised and located in the path of movement of portions 5 of set tabulator tabs 2. Since cam portion 22 slides away from rod 20, and cam portion 23 moves to a position opposite rodY 20 while the stop means move to the raised stop position, carrier 9 with braking mem* ber 4 turn from the position of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 4 in which the abutments 12 and 13 are located in the path of movement of portions 3 of set tabulator tabs.

The escapement mechanism of the carriage is released in a conventional manner upon operation yof the tabulator key, and the carriage starts its tabulating movement in direction of the arrow e until the first tab in tabulating position abuts the abutment 12 of braking member 4 so that the stronger force of the moving carriage displaces braking member 4 against the action of spring 11 so that the abutments 12 and 13 move with braking member 4 in the direction of the carriage movement toward stop means 6 until portion S of the respective tabulator tab abuts stop portion 6a and the carriage is stopped.

In the time period between the engagement of abutment 12 by tab 12 and engagement of stop portion 6a by tab 2, braking member 4 travels to the left and takes brake control member 16 along while the piston connected to brake control 16 has to overcome the braking force of the air in the pneumatic brake cylinder 17, and also tre force of spring 13. In this manner, a strong braking action is exerted by breaking member 4 on the carriage with which braking member 4 is coupled by abutment 12 and portion 3 of the operative tab 2.

When the tabulator key is released, the escapement mechanism locks the carriage against further movement, while stop means 6, 24 are returned by spring 25 in clockwise direction so that stop portion 6a. is lowered and placed in a position releasing portion S of the respective tab 2. In the lower position of stop lever 6 shown in FIG. 3, a cam portion 22 abuts rod 20 of carrier 9 so that carrier 9 is turned with braking member 4 in counterclockwise direction to the normal inoperative position in which abutment 12 releases portion 3 of tab 2.

At the end of the braking operation, guide pins 8 are near the right end of slot 7, so that spring 11 can now draw braking member 4 in direction of the arrow a until the initial position shown in FIG. 1 is again obtained. Spring 18 simultaneously pulls brake control member to the right until projection 15 again abuts the arm 14 of braking member 4.

The above described operation takes place when the set margin stop is located a considerable distance from stop means 6 and abutment 12 of braking member 4. In this event, the carriage acquires a substantial speed, and a braking member 4 moves through a corresponding long brake distance. If only a short tabulating distance is determined by a set tab 2, for example, if a tab 2 is set only 5 carriage steps, or distances between tabs, from the stop portion 6a, as shown for tab 2a in FIG. 2, then the carriage can be braked over a shorter brake distance, and as best seen in FIG. 2, the set tab 2a will be located between the abutments 12 and 13. When the tabulating key is operated, the carriage travels in the direction of the arrows e a distance corresponding to one step until tab 2a engages abutment 13 and displaces braking member 4 in the direction of the arrow e so that a braking force is produced during travel of the carriage corresponding to tive tab distances whereupon the tab 2a abuts the stop portion 6a and the carriage ymovement is terminated.

If a tab 2b is located behind abutment 13, that is less than Jfour tab distances, a carriage movement is so short that the carriage cannot obtain its full speedy before the tab 2b is engaged by stop portion 6a and the carriage is stopped. Therefore, no braking is required, and since 'the tab 2b Vis located behind abutment 13 in the direcf tion of the carriage movement, no braking takes place.

A particular advantage of the construction of the present invention is the resilient engagement between rod 20 of carrier 9 and the cam portions 22, 23 of stop means 6. In the event that during a carriage movement the tabulating key is operated, and stop lever 6 is raised in a moment in which one of the abutments 12 and 13 happens to be exactly aligned with a set tabulating stop 2, carrier 9 and braking member 4 cannot turn to the braking position. lf stop lever 6 were rigidly connected with carrier 9 and braking member 4, it could not be moved to the stop position, but due to the construction of the invention, stop lever means 6 can nevertheless be raised, and carrier 9 follows in the direction of the arrow d as soon as abutment 12 or 13 no longer lies on the set tab so that the desired operative position of all parts can be obtained.

lt will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of tabulating arrangements for manually operated or electrically operated typewriters and business machines differing from the types described above.

White the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a tabulating arrangement permitting braking of the paper carriage of a typewriter after short or long tabulating motions, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

W'ithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or speciiic aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A braked tabulating arrangement comprising, in combination, carriage means biased to move in one direction and having a plurality of tabulator tabs settable to a tabulating position; a support shaft; tabulator stop means mounted on said support shaft non-movable iu said one direction and turnable in a transverse direction between a retracted position and a stop position located in the path of said tabs, said stop means having two staggered cam portions; carrier means mounted on said support shaft non-movable in said one direction and turnable in said transverse direction; biasing means urging said carrier means to abut one of said staggered cam portions in said retracted position and the other cam portion in said stop position of said stop means, so that said carrier means turns between two positions when said stop means is shifted between said retracted and stop positions; and braking means including a braking member mounted on said carrier means for turning movement with the same between a normal inoperative position and a braking position when said carrier means turns between said two positions thereof, so that said braking member moves to said braking position when said stop means is in said stop position and for sliding movement on the same in said one direction toward said stop means while producing a braking force, said braking member having two abutments located in and spaced along said path when said braking member is in said braking position, one of said abutments being farther from said stop means and the other abutment being nearer to said stop means in said direction whereby during carriage movement a set tab located farther from said stop means than said one abutment engages said abutment and a set tab located between said abutments engages said other abutment so that said carriage means is braked until the respective tab engages said stop means so that said carriage means is stopped, while a set tab located between said other abutment and said stop means directly engages said stop means.

2. A tabulating arrangement as set forth in claim l wherein said carrier means is U-shaped and has two legs turnably mounted on said supporting shaft, said U-shaped carrier means having a yoke portion, and projecting guide members on said yoke portion; and wherein said braking member has elongated slots guided on said guide members and extending in said direction of carriage movement.

3. A tabulating arrangement as set forth in claim l and including a pneumatic brake cylinder and piston means, a brake control member connected to said piston means, a spring biasing said brake control member to move in a direction opposite to the direction of the carriage movement; and wherein said braking member has an arm abnting said brake control member so that during movement of said braking member in said direction of carriage movement said brake cylinder and piston means is operated; and including a spring acting on said braking member to bias the same to move in a direction opposite to said direction of the carriage movement.

4. A tabuiating arrangement as set forth in claim l wherein said carrier means is U-shaped and has a pair of legs mounted on said supporting shaft for movement, and a rod connecting said legs and abutting said cam portions of said stop means, respectively, in said retracted and stop positions of said stop means.

5. A tabulating arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tabulator tabs are spaced from each other predetermined distances; wherein said two abutments of said braking members are spaced a distance corresponding to five of said predetermined distances, and wherein the abutment near to said stop means is spaced from the same less than four of said predetermined distances.

Kurowski Mar. 17, 1914 Rinsche Nov. 25, 1924 

1. A BRAKED TABULATING ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, CARRIAGE MEANS BIASED TO MOVE IN ONE DIRECTION AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF TABULATOR TABS SETTABLE TO A TABULATING POSITION; A SUPPORT SHAFT; TABULATOR STOP MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT SHAFT NON-MOVABLE IN SAID ONE DIRECTION AND TURNABLE IN A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION AND A STOP POSITION LOCATED IN THE PATH OF SAID TABS, SAID STOP MEANS HAVING TWO STAGGERED CAM PORTIONS; CARRIER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT SHAFT NON-MOVABLE IN SAID ONE DIRECTION AND TURNABLE IN SAID TRANSVERSE DIRECTION; BIASING MEANS URGING SAID CARRIER MEANS TO ABUT ONE OF SAID STAGGERED CAM PORTIONS IN SAID RETRACTED POSITION AND THE OTHER CAM PORTION IN SAID STOP POSITION OF SAID STOP MEANS, SO THAT SAID CARRIER MEANS TURNS BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS WHEN SAID STOP MEANS IS SHIFTED BETWEEN SAID RETRACTED AND STOP POSITIONS; AND BRAKING MEANS INCLUDING A BRAKING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER MEANS FOR TURNING MOVEMENT WITH THE SAME BETWEEN A NORMAL INOPERATIVE POSITION AND A BRAKING POSITION WHEN SAID CARRIER MEANS TURNS BETWEEN SAID TWO POSITIONS THEREOF, SO THAT SAID BRAKING MEMBER MOVES TO SAID BRAKING POSITION WHEN SAID STOP MEANS IS IN SAID STOP POSITION AND FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT ON THE SAME IN SAID ONE DIRECTION TOWARD SAID STOP MEANS WHILE PRODUCING A BRAKING FORCE, SAID BRAKING MEMBER HAVING TWO ABUTMENTS LOCATED IN AND SPACED ALONG SAID PATH WHEN SAID BRAKING MEMBER IS IN SAID BRAKING POSITION, ONE OF SAID ABUTMENTS BEING FARTHER FROM SAID STOP MEANS AND THE OTHER ABUTMENT BEING NEARER TO SAID STOP MEANS IN SAID DIRECTION WHEREBY DURING CARRIAGE MOVEMENT A SET TAB LOCATED FARTHER FROM SAID STOP MEANS THAN SAID ONE ABUTMENT ENGAGES SAID ABUTMENT AND A SET TAB LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENTS ENGAGES SAID OTHER ABUTMENT SO THAT SAID CARRIAGE MEANS IS BRAKED UNTIL THE RESPECTIVE TAB ENGAGES SAID STOP MEANS SO THAT SAID CARRIAGE MEANS IS STOPPED, WHILE A SET TAB LOCATED BETWEEN SAID OTHER ABUTMENT AND SAID STOP MEANS DIRECTLY ENGAGES SAID STOP MEANS. 